Jeans

Weight-y Choices

Saying yes to the skinny jeans by saying no to the donuts. 

- Betsy Cañas Garmon

   

Closet Content Analysis: Jeans

NICE                   NO THANKS         NOTE-WORTHY            NEED

Jeans represent democracy in fashion.

- Giorgio Armani

NICE: Before I lost 35 pounds I never took the time to buy a great pair of jeans. One of the first after weight-loss size 6 purchases I made was two pairs of skinny jeans. I paid over $100.00 (Cdn) for a dark grey pair and I still love wearing them a year later. I bought the second Calvin Klein dark blue pair (photo) at Costco for $23.00. I take great pleasure wearing them just because they were cheap. Both pairs would be considered stretch jeans and can tolerate moderate weight fluctuation. Although I must admit, they were more comfortable 6 pounds ago.

Back in the day, a pair of tight jeans was enough to earn a girl a bad reputation. Now slutty has gone Main Street. 

- Lins Chavez

NO THANKS: No picture of these because I took them to the consignment store and even at a bargain basement price, no one there wanted them either. I imagine they are somewhere in a donated clothing bin now. These were reversible, dark blue on one side and khaki on the other. The reversibility is reason enough for them to be classified as NO THANKS but the primary reason they are my NO THANKS choice was because they were so low rise, the zip was maybe one inch/2.5 centimeters long. There are some purchasing mistakes that make your skin crawl and this is mine. NO THANKS to expensive uncomfortable reversible jeans.

Why did I buy them? I guess I was drawn by fad to try them on but I have to admit that the sales associate was charming and good-looking, and because of those two attributes along with his compliments, I was convinced. Sigh.

How old are those regrets? It’s time to reveal them and move on.

- Anonymous

NOTE-WORTHY: Another Costco purchase, Calvin Klein Shapes black jeans, for $15.00, even cheaper than the skinny pair. At first I thought the flare on them would be too much for someone 5’2”. With no fitting rooms at Costco, I was uncertain when I bought them but am happy with the purchase now. They’re nothing special but for $15.00, I’m down to less than $1.00 per wear.

I'm like every other woman: a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear: So I wear jeans.

- Cameron Diaz

Need: I need to know more about “coated denim”, which has the look of leather. I haven't gone shopping for a pair so I haven't felt or seen them yet. Without thinking about it and without analyzing the positives and negatives, I want to say that I don’t care for something that looks like something else.

I have often said that I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes.

- Yves Saint Laurent

Email JoyDCreations with your descriptions, and if you like, your photos and I'll include your NICE, NO THANKS, NOTEWORTHY or NEED in my posts.

Jean-Buying Tips: Don’t be easily discouraged, but be prepared to try on many pairs. You will know when you put on the pair perfect for you.

Buy what fits and feels comfortable.

Disregard comments made by good-looking sales associates (re-read the NO THANKS category).

After a week, you will know whether you love them enough to buy a second pair. Two pairs of great fitting jeans allow you to have one pair hemmed for flats and the other for heels.

Unless you have many many pairs of jeans, stick to minimal embellishment. Too much bling on rear pockets is distracting not enhancing.

I usually try on at least 20 pairs of jeans before I find something that looks good on me. And even then, I have a trustworthy friend tell me if my butt looks big!

- Amanda Peet

Jean-Caring Tips: Cold water and those laundry products formulated especially for dark colours are the best combination to maintain the darkness of your dark jeans. When washing, turn them inside out and adjust the dial to “delicate” or "gentle". Turn them inside out for drying and ironing as well.

Welcoming your comments on the jeans in your closet and your jean buying experiences.

Heels

Stylish Choices

Fashion fades, only style remains the same.

-       Coco Chanel

   

A Closet Content Analysis: Heels

NICE                   NO THANKS         NOTE-WORTHY                NEED

High heels were invented by a woman who had been kissed on the forehead.

  -  Christopher Morley

NICE: My Jimmy Choo purchase in the Spring of 2011 was one of my NICEST fashion purchases. This pair of nude peep-toe shoes represented much more in my life than the fact that I was spending more money than I ever had spent on a chic pair of heels. Although high, they are surprisingly comfortable.

Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels.

- Faith Whittlesey

NO THANKS: I don’t have a photo of my NO THANKS silver and black strappy heels because I took them to the consignment store before I began this fashion blog. The cost was in that $70.00 (Cdn) range. I obviously liked the look of them but wearing them was impossible. My foot was not contained and it slid forward with each step so that my toes were hanging out over the sole. They were not even that high. The construction was just wrong. I would have to stop after walking a bit, hang onto something and try to wiggle my way back up the sole so that I could resume walking. (By the way I received $11.00 for them from the consignment store.)

NOTE-WORTHY: My first pair of purple shoes has been my most NOTE-WORTHY fashion choice and a very positive one. I bought them in Printemps (a department store) in Paris for about 70 Euros in the summer of 2010. Since I was in a rather conservative job, my shoes were mostly high-, medium- and low-heeled black, black on black, maybe black with a strip of beige and to be totally outrageous, black patent. These purple suede heels helped me think outside of the “shoebox” with red patent sandals, pink high heels and even more purple choices.

NEED: A pair of red patent heels or a pair of red-soled heels, specifically the Christian Louboutin pumps Corneille in Mandarin red. The link will take you to the Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

Email JoyDCreations with your descriptions, and if you like, your photos and I'll include your NICE, NO THANKS, NOTEWORTHY or NEED in my posts.

 

Shoe Shopping Hints:

            Try shoes on at the end of the day when your feet are most stressed and maybe even a bit swollen from being on them for a long period.

            When you have decided on the look, try both shoes on and walk around the store for a bit, sit, cross your legs, stand, sit, walk around a bit more, stand and shift your weight and if possible walk up and down steps. Just standing in front of a mirror tells you only that you like the style (please refer to my NO THANKS heel purchase).

Shoe Caring Tips:

            Replace heel tips before the heel and leather are worn down to a point of not possible to repair or so expensive, it’s not worth repairing.

All leather shoes, particularly suede, should be pre-treated with a protective spray that repels water and other liquid stains. Commercial suede cleaning blocks or suede erasers, and a suede brush clean suede shoes and boots most effectively. Prevention with the protective spray will save your shoes and prevent further expense for cleaning.

  

Welcoming your comments about the heels in your closet and your shoe buying experiences.